Repeated explosive remarks in court and prison
Ministry of Justice launches investigation into prosecutors under suspicion
[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Byung-don] As the revelations by Kim Bong-hyun, former chairman of Star Mobility and identified as the mastermind behind the ‘Lime Asset Management scandal,’ continue to emerge, the aftershocks are intensifying. Kim’s explosive remarks about former Blue House political secretary Kang Ki-jung have caused a stir, and his statements are now directed toward opposition parties and the prosecution. Some interpret Kim’s actions as a desperate attempt to create a favorable situation for himself as a heavy sentence becomes inevitable.
On the 16th, Kim released a five-page ‘prison statement’ through his lawyer, claiming that the prosecution conducted investigations in a way that would damage the administration and benefit Prosecutor General Yoon.
He explained that immediately after his arrest, a former high-ranking lawyer, Attorney A, told him during their first meeting, “Prosecutor General Yoon’s fate is tied to the Lime case,” and advised, “If you want to survive, it’s good to implicate Ki-dong Min, but you should at least catch Secretary Kang Ki-jung.” He also revealed there was a promise that “if you cooperate, I will report directly to Prosecutor General Yoon and you will be granted bail to stand trial without detention.”
Kim also alleged that the prosecution had already decided on the desired conclusion and conducted a ‘tailored investigation’ by guiding testimonies in a specific direction.
He said, “From the first prosecution investigation in May regarding the bribe offer to a Blue House administrator, the lead prosecutor told me ‘You just need to admit it,’ and forced me to revise my testimony as the investigation head wanted, making me admit to it.” He added, “When I testified with a different opinion from the prosecutor, he spoke to me disrespectfully, shouted, and stormed out.”
Kim’s revelations continued. He stated that although he disclosed during the prosecution investigation that he had also lobbied influential opposition politicians, the investigation was not properly conducted. He further exposed that he gave several hundred million won to a former prosecutor general turned influential opposition politician and a lawyer to request favors related to the Lime fund.
As Kim’s explosive remarks continued, political figures rushed to deny any suspicions related to Lime or connections with him.
The Ministry of Justice has also launched an inspection to investigate ▲ allegations of entertainment and bribery involving current prosecutors and former and current investigators ▲ suspicions that a prosecutor who received entertainment participated as the lead investigator in the case to cover up the investigation ▲ and allegations of illegal investigation methods such as coercion and threats.
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